The Foodinista

It’s a New Year, and we’re trying to eat clean during the week (tonight’s pork rib roast followed by steamed persimmon pudding and hard sauce will be another story). Last night I made a favorite Tunisian breakfast dish, shakshuka, for dinner. The flavors are so rich and indulgent with just a bit of heat, you’ll forget that this dish is totally guilt-free. The recipe comes from my current cookbook obsession, Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi. I modified only slightly (using canned tomatoes instead of fresh). This would serve four for breakfast, or two very hungry adults for dinner.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons harissa

2 teaspoons tomato paste

2 large red peppers, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained

4 eggs

A couple dollops of Greek yogurt

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add the harissa, tomato paste, red peppers, garlic, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 8 minutes, until the peppers soften. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Make four indentations in the sauce and then crack an egg into each. Use a fork to swirl around the whites a little bit with the sauce, taking care not to break the yolks.

Simmer until the whites are gently set and the yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes (you can cover pan with a lid if you want to speed things up a little, but check frequently). Spoon eggs in the sauce onto plates, and serve with a dollop of yogurt on the side.

About a month ago, a friend gave me a copy of Canal House Cooks Every Day and I can’t put it down! So far my favorite recipe—the one that has already become a weekly obsession—is a wonderfully complex curry that is even more wonderfully easy to prepare. This fiery curry, which gets its heat from Kashmiri chile powder, is meant to be served over a delicious sounding curd rice, but given that we’re trying to lighten things up during the week, I just steam a small head of orange cauliflower florets and serve the curry over that.

For those in Los Angeles, you can find Kashmiri chile powder and fresh curry leaves at India Spices & Groceries on Pico Blvd., just west of Fairfax.

For the spice blend, mix together the coriander, garam masala, and fennel seeds in a bowl. Set aside.

For the shrimp, pat the shrimp dry and put them in a medium bowl. Add chile powder, pepper, turmeric, and salt and toss to coat. Set aside.

Heat scant 1/4 cup coconut oil in a large wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they begin to brown around the edges, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and fry for 1 minute. Add spice blend and fry briefly until fragrant. Increase heat to high and add shrimp, stirring constantly until the shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.

For the tarka, heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add curry leaves and fry briefly until they crackle. Pour tarka over shrimp. Serve over steamed cauliflower or rice.

I never thought I’d be the kind of girl to be posting about jello shots, but here we are. A couple weeks ago the topic of jello shots came up with my friend Kristi, who had never tried one. I hadn’t thought about those green jello and vodka shooters served up in Dixie cups at frat parties in years, and for good reason. They’re vile. But it got me thinking, what would a Whiskey Sour version with Luxardo cherries bring to the game? So when Kristi and some friends were over the other night at a holiday party, I gave it a go and not only did they give us all a good laugh, but they were fantastic! I might need to experiment with a Pimms Cup shot next…

In a separate bowl, pour boiling water over gelatin and stir until dissolved. Add whiskey mixture. Mix well and pour into silicone ice cube trays. Add a Luxardo cherry to each. Refrigerate for several hours.

Use a butter knife to edge around each cube to help release from tray.

Several years ago, sitting over brunch at the Sunset Marquis in West Hollywood, a fashion editor friend in town from NY said, “You know what you are? A foodinista.” I think we were discussing Louboutins and guanciale at the time. But whatever it was, the name made sense. And it ... Continue reading →